In this post, I’ll highlight another takeaway from the Last Planner System and it has to do with building trust. As indicated by Ballard and Tommelein, authors of the LPS 2020 benchmark report, work gets done through language and in the way people speak, listen and collaborate with each other. Why? Because projects are just a network of commitments: you trust other people to do their part; you trust that they are going to deliver on time or ask for an extension if they need it; and you trust that they will respect you and take your concerns into consideration.
So, building trust is key for a large, remote, multicultural and distributed team.
But how can you help or empower your team members to build trust with one another?
Use management skills to establish a common baseline
In our experience, helping team members develop project management skills is very beneficial. Even if your team members are not project managers, by learning about and developing best practices, they will establish a common baseline of work among all team members. This knowledge makes the rules of the game clear and ensures they are the same for everyone. It also reassures team members that their coworkers have the necessary technical knowledge and skills to support them in their work.
| Our approach |
| With Team Q, our primary focus was providing training on scope, time, and communication management. Think about your team’s main pain points and what could potentially break trust among team members. Perhaps you need to focus on how you manage resources, how your integration strategy could be improved, or how you handle risks. |
Timely and Transparent Communication
We already discussed the importance of communication in a previous blog entry, which focused on implementing best practices to improve your team’s cohesion. But let’s not forget about the key role timely and transparent communication has on a team that is developing trust, and how easily trust can be broken if a leader underestimates its importance.
- Create a safe environment where team members feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, concerns, and ideas openly. Facilitate this through regular team meetings, one-on-one discussions, and feedback sessions, promoting a culture of honesty and mutual respect. Your red flag here is if you notice team members not feeling comfortable with these meetings or catch-ups. No one should feel afraid to express their opinions, so if fear haunts your meetings, it’s time to switch things up.
- When you receive positive feedback, publicly congratulate all members who participated in the process. Don’t take credit that does not belong to you (please don’t be that person).
- When faced with uncertainty, consider how much information should be shared, when, and in what way in order to prevent unnecessary stress within the team. In the case of potential downsizing or layoffs, it is essential to communicate this information to employees as soon as possible. Clear communication helps manage expectations and allows employees to make informed decisions about their future.
Collaborative Leadership
It’s also crucial to encourage collaboration and teamwork. You can do this by getting everyone involved in solving problems together, brainstorming ideas, and working on projects that involve different teams. Leading by example is integral to this process and means showing that you’re reliable and honest in what you do and say, sticking to your commitments, and giving team members the freedom to take charge of their work. This helps create accountability and trust among everyone. Additionally, setting clear expectations and implementing methods to monitor progress ensures alignment and fosters a cohesive team environment where everyone feels valued and accountable. Through collaborative leadership, teams benefit from increased creativity, improved problem-solving, and strengthened bonds, ultimately driving success and cohesion.
The Takeaway
In summary, teams can cultivate a culture of reliability and responsibility by employing effective management techniques and developing shared work standards. Transparent communication also plays a pivotal role in strengthening trust and creating an atmosphere where team members feel appreciated and heard. Encouraging collaboration, leading by example, and establishing clear directives all contribute to fostering trust within a multicultural, remote, and distributed team.
About the author:
Angie Tapia is a professional in translation, localization, project management and language services. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Translation and Interpreting and a Master’s in Administration and Project Management. Her career includes a pivotal role as the Head of Language Services at the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games, where she led a team of 50 language services professionals and over 300 volunteers, providing over five million translated words and a thousand hours of interpreting. Angie’s work extends to academia, where she has served as a university professor since 2015. Currently, she channels her passion for innovation, technology and localization into her position as a Customer Success Manager at Terra Localizations, where she tailors solutions and streamlines processes for the videogame industry.